Revealed! The top place to buy a holiday home

The number of Britons buying holiday homes abroad has increased - and France is still the most popular place for them to own a second property.

The US came second with Florida being the most popular place to buy, followed by Portugal, where the euro crisis hasn't discouraged enthusiasm and golf properties are popular.

Italy was the fourth most popular place to set up a home abroad, followed by the Caribbean, which is popular with well-heeled British buyers.

But with the country's property crash, Spain saw its number of British holiday home owners halved - and it limped in at sixth place. While it remains a favourite place for British tourists to rent, buying holiday homes is seen as too risky, and prices on the Costas have fallen up to 50 per cent.

The survey, by homeaway.co.uk for The Daily Telegraph Property section, analysed data from British and overseas government bodies as well as a poll of 1,700 Brits owning properties abroad and 1,000 tourists renting homes abroad. It found that in 2006 385,000 Brits owned holiday homes overseas and this rose to a record high of 430,000 in 2010.